String of Fate
by MiyAsuka
Summary: Yaoi, BxR The Ring's gone, and even though Bakura is still there, things can't go back the way they were.
1. Prologue

Title: String of Fate  
Author: MiyAsuka  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Kazuki Takahashi does.  
Pairing: Bakura/Ryou  
Rating: R  
Warning: Yaoi (duh!), probably some sexual references and a lime or two in later chapters.  
Summary: The Ring's gone, and even though Bakura is still there, things can't go back the way they were.  
Notes: First, I'm sorry if my English sounds a bit strange, it's not my first language. But I hope it won't prevent you from enjoying the fic.

* * *

Prologue

"How long are you planning to sit here like that?"

The question went completely ignored. Ryou's back, pressed against the cold wall, was starting to feel numb. The boy didn't care. He was hugging his legs close to his chest and tears were falling on his knees.

"Look, you can't keep ignoring me. I'm here, you know. Look at me." Silence. "Look at me, dammit!"

If Bakura had been able to, he would have seized the teen by the collar of his shirt and forced Ryou to look at him. However, he couldn't, and that was probably where the main problem resided.

"Stop acting like you can't see me! I know damn well you can hear me!"

More tears rolled on Ryou's cheeks. No sob were escaping his mouth. He seemed tired. He slightly shook his head.

"...away..." he murmured, so lowly Bakura couldn't hear him.

"What did you say?"

The white-haired boy took a big breath before letting his anger out.

"I said, go away! Vanish or whatever! Stop toying with my mind! You're not here! You never were!"

Ryou's sudden outburst surprised the spirit a bit. "Wha-"

"Shut up! Just shut up! You don't even exist! You're nothing but an illusion! So LEAVE!"

With that last word said, Ryou stood and walked past Bakura toward the bathroom. The spirit was so shocked by his previous host's reaction he didn't even follow him right away.

Ryou opened the bathroom cabinet and grabbed every single box of antidepressants stocked there and aligned them meticulously on the edge of the sink. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and, honestly, he didn't like what he saw. He lowered his gaze and set back his attention on the boxes. He grabbed one of them and took the directions out of it. Side effects_ had_ to be the explanation. _He_ couldn't be here. The Ring was gone. It couldn't possibly be true – _he_ couldn't be real.

The doorbell rang. Ryou ignored it at first. It rang again.

"There's somebody at the door," Bakura, who just entered the bathroom, said.

"I heard it the first time," Ryou mumbled. He walked past – or rather, through – Bakura and went to answer the door.

"Oh..." he said when he saw the face of his visitor. "Yuugi-kun..."

"Hello, Bakura-kun. You, errr... don't look so well."

That was an understatement. Ryou hadn't showered in the last two days, he was still wearing his pajamas and it was pretty obvious he had spent the last hours crying his eyes out over something.

"You haven't been at school since Wednesday. Everybody's getting worried."

_They are?_ Ryou had doubts. "I'm sorry. There are just a lot of things on my mind lately."

"Oh. Do you want to talk about it?" Yuugi asked.

_Hypocrite. _"I'd rather not. It's quite... personal stuff, you know..."

"Oh... Well, I brought your homework."

"Thank you." Ryou took the papers, said goodbye to Yuugi and closed the door. He wasn't in the mood for some chit-chat with Mr. friendship-is-so-great.

"You hate him, don't you?" Bakura said.

It was the truth. Yuugi was the one who took the Ring away from Ryou in the first place. It was his fault Bakura wasn't there anymore, _right_? Ryou muffled a sob behind his hand. The papers he held fell on the floor. The doorbell rang again. Ryou ignored it and rushed to his room. He flung himself on the bed and sobbed, trying hard to ignore the all too familiar voice that was still demanding him to look at what he _knew_ was an illusion.

* * *

"Is he okay ?"

Yuugi shook his head. "And it seems he doesn't want to talk about whatever is happening."

"Maybe we should go again, together," Anzu suggested.

"I just kept ringing, but he wouldn't open the door again."

"What's wrong with this guy? We got rid of that evil ring for good. You'd think he'd be alright."

"I don't know, Jounouchi-kun. The Ring was a gift from his father after all. It might have some sentimental value."

"I got his number from the teachers. I'll try to call him." Anzu took her mobile phone out of her bag.

"We should have done that right away," Honda mumbled. "Now that he saw Yuugi, he _will_ know we're the ones calling."

"Your point ?" Jounouchi asked.

"He won't answer the phone."

"That's right," Anzu said. "Answering machine."

"Try and leave a message."

"Useless, I'm telling you. If he doesn't want to talk to us, we can't force him. Let's just give up."

"We can't do that Honda-kun..."

"Ah, Bakura-kun. It's Anzu. The others and I are worried about you. You know, if you need to talk to somebody, we're here for you. I'm leaving you my number..."

"Useless," Honda muttered again under his breath. Jounouchi glared at him. "What?"

"He's our friend."

"We can't help him if he doesn't let us. And I know he won't."

"Why wouldn't he?" the shortest of the four teenagers asked.

"Because we know about the Ring. He probably thinks we don't trust him."

* * *

Bakura stared blankly at the blinking red light of the answering machine. Honestly, he didn't know what to think. Were the kids' worry genuine? Or were they doing this out of duty because they wanted to keep their record of 'perfect friends' clear?

As much as the spirit wanted not to care, he knew it was of some importance to the boy who used to be his host. Ever since he had returned from Egypt, Ryou had been shutting himself from the outside world. He was convinced that Bakura had disappeared along with the Ring. He refused to acknowledge the fact that Bakura still was with him – that Bakura choose to stay with him!

"Damn," the spirit muttered while crossing the living room, taking the direction of Ryou's bedroom. "That brat's a stubborn one."

Soon enough, he was facing Ryou's bed. The young boy's eyes were closed. Was he really asleep? It wouldn't be hard to find out.

"Look at me."

The lack of reaction informed Bakura that Ryou really was sleeping. The spirit sat cross-legged in the air. He really liked watching the boy sleep, never got tired of it. Not he'd ever admit it to anyone, he would rather die. Well, he was sort of dead already... He felt like a ghost stuck on Earth and it sucked, really. It sucked even more that the only person that could feel his presence was ignoring him. But the spirit wasn't giving up, even though he knew all the things he did was slowly breaking Ryou apart. Bakura didn't have any choice. It was either that or wandering with no one to talk to until the end of time. Though it couldn't be worse than being stuck in a piece of metal for three thousand years, that didn't make it sound any more attractive.

So Bakura had no other choice. He _had _to make Ryou acknowledge him.


	2. 1 Noise

Title: String of Fate  
Author: MiyAsuka  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Kazuki Takahashi does.  
Pairing: Bakura/Ryou  
Rating: R  
Warning: Yaoi (duh!), probably some sexual references and a lime or two in the later chapters.  
Summary: The Ring's gone, and even though Bakura is still there, things can't go back the way they were.

* * *

Chapter 1: Noise

When Ryou woke up, night had just befallen Domino. The crash into reality hurt. It always did, ever since he came back. Every single time, he remembered that he was alone.

"Bakura..." A sad whisper.

Ryou buried his head into his pillow, his hand fisting the blanket. Once again, he was crying. Unbeknowst to him, Bakura was watching him. The spirit felt powerless and that annoyed him to no end.

"Come on, aren't you tired of crying all the time?" Bakura saw Ryou's back shudder. "You've got absolutely no reason to cry. I'm here, can't you get it in your head once and for all?"

"Shut up!" Ryou screamed, his voice muffled by the pillow.

"No, I won't. You're going to listen to me now."

"Shut up!" Ryou repeated. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" He repeated the same words over and over, like a litany. Bakura waited calmly until he was done. When Ryou seemed to have somewhat calmed down, the spirit spoke again.

"You tell me to shut up. That means you're aware I'm here."

"Shut up! You're no-"

"Here, you're doing it again." Bakura smirked, feeling satisfied. The more he tried, the more Ryou was becoming responsive to his provocations. "Now, are you going to listen to me?"

This time, however, Ryou chose to remain silent.

"Shit, and here I thought we were making some progress." Bakura sighed. It looked like a lost case, but he wasn't anywhere close to giving up. "Why do you always have to be so stubborn?" Not that he disliked it. In fact, this particular trait was what had attracted him to Ryou in the first place. Well, this and that pale and delicious-looking body. Bakura licked his lips but he was soon forced to put an end to his lust-filled memories. Now was not the time. "Come on. I just want you to realize I'm here. Is that too much to ask?"

A long silence followed. Ryou's breathing became so calm and regular Bakura thought he had fallen asleep again. He was proved wrong when all of a sudden, Ryou sprang out of the bed and left the room.

Upon arriving in the living room, the boy noticed the blinking red light of his answering machine. He walked to it and pressed a button.

_"You have one new message."_**BEEP** _"Ah, Bakura-k-"_ **BEEP** _"Message erased."_

Next, Ryou headed toward the bathroom, removing and discarding his pajama top on the way. Once in front of the shower stall, his pants followed. Ryou stepped inside and turned on the water.

"Ryou! What's with you all of a sud-" Bakura stopped short when he saw Ryou's naked silhouette, water running along the pale skin the spirit knew so intimately well. Damn, hadn't he been a ghost of sorts, he would have gotten an instant hard-on, that for sure.

Ryou started washing his hair and soon his back, chest and forearm were covered with foam. Bakura forced himself to look away. Not in order to give the boy some privacy for Bakura had seen Ryou's naked body plenty of times already. The spirit just couldn't stand staring at what would probably remain out of his reach forever.

Ryou rinsed his hair, put some shower gel in his hands and began washing his body. He was thankful that the voice had become quiet. Maybe the side-effects from the antidepressants had worn off. Strangely, Ryou felt a pang of disappointment seize him. Maybe a part of him had hoped it was real, that Bakura was still there with him.

But he wasn't.

Biting back a sob, Ryou finished washing, staying under the hot pouring water a bit longer than necessary. Ten minutes later, he stepped out, careful not to slip on the tiling. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his bony hips. He took another one and dried his hair with it.

Bakura watched him from the corner of his eyes. Ryou really looked miserable. All his gestures looked like he was set on some sort of auto-pilot. Yet, Bakura was convincing himself that he wasn't responsible for all this. It was just Ryou's fault. The brat just had to turn around and look at him. Why wouldn't he?

The towel Ryou had been drying his hair with fell to the floor. The teenager looked at all the boxes of antidepressants that he had left on the sink earlier. One by one, he threw them in the bin.

"It amazes me that you didn't do that sooner," Bakura said.

Ryou's face grew pale. "No..." It couldn't be. Why could he still hear him? "Please no..." His body trembled. Bakura could see the goosebumps form on his skins. He kept silent for a short while, amazed by the effect he had on his former host.

"Ryou-"

"DON'T!" Ryou shouted, clasping his hands over his ears. The towel around his hips slipped. It fell silently on the floor.

Bakura had expected Ryou to react this way. He rarely called Ryou by his name. Whenever he did, Ryou always reacted strongly. The kid wasn't used to hearing people call him by his first name.

The spirit glanced at Ryou's reflection. The boy had his eyes screwed shut and was slightly trembling. It reminded Bakura of the time he had first presented himself to Ryou. Despite everything, it remained one of Bakura's best memories. Because Ryou looked so beautiful like this, his anguish freely showing, breaking apart the mask he usually wore all the time. How Bakura wished he could just _feel_ Ryou's emotional state once more. He longed to feel that heart beating so fast, borderline hurting. Right now, all the spirit could feel was frustrating hollowness.

And it would most likely remain that way forever.

_No._

"JUST LISTEN TO ME FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" Bakura screamed, losing patience.

Ryou whimpered. The hands on his ears barely stifled the spirit's roar. Ryou pressed them harder.

"Stop that! Just turn around and look at me!"

Ryou did open his eyes. However, instead of doing what Bakura had just asked, the boy bolted outside the bathroom.

Bakura groaned in exasperation. What the hell was Ryou about to do this time? Pissed off and maybe – just maybe – a bit worried, Bakura followed the teen and found him inside his bedroom. The spirit froze when he saw what Ryou was holding in his hands.

"Shit. You're not going to-"

As fast as he could, Ryou put the headphones inside his ears and pressed the play button of his iPod. The music instantaneously drowned out Bakura's voice. Ryou sighed in relief. He sat down on the floor, resting his back against his bed. Suddenly, out of the blue, Ryou began laughing. It started low, so low Bakura didn't hear it at first. It grew increasingly louder. Soon, Ryou was throwing his head back, sounding even madder than his dark self.

Bakura couldn't tear his stare away from Ryou's naked body, from the pale chest heaving in time with his crazy laughing. Was this all Bakura's doing? Had he turned Ryou insane?

* * *

Bakura was waiting. He couldn't do anything else. Ryou never removed his headphones. He had put the music so loud Bakura could hear it clearly. The spirit wondered how Ryou could sleep. Unless he was faking, but his snores sounded genuine enough. Bakura smiled. His anger had worn off a bit and now, he found himself watching Ryou sleeping... again. Damn, he looked cute. His right arm was hanging from the bed, while his left hand was holding protectively the music player against his chest. His mouth was slightly open. His eyelids were trembling, indicating that the boy was probably dreaming. If only Bakura had still the ability to mess with Ryou's dreams.

The ghostly form remained unmoving for a few hours. It was ten past four when what Bakura had been waiting for finally happened. The music stopped. The iPod's battery was empty.

For a few seconds, Bakura hesitated. Ryou looked so peaceful. How could anybody in their right mind be considering what Bakura was about to do? Well, it's not like Bakura wanted to do this. He _had to_.

"WAKE UP!"

Ryou's eyes opened. He didn't feel good. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it would burst. His head couldn't comprehend what was going on. It didn't took him long however to finally figure it all out.

"Now, you're going to have to listen to me."

Ryou stared at the music player in his hand. No more battery. "No..." His voice sounded so broken. Bakura winced. Ryou left his bed and began searching through the bag he had taken with him to Egypt. He had barely touched his contents since he came back.

Bakura sighed. He knew exactly what Ryou was looking for. "And what are you going to do once you get that thing's charger? You can't keep running away from me forever you know." Bakura tried to sound calm, but his voice had a hint of urgency.

Ryou tried hard to ignore the voice. He couldn't lose his mind now. Not when he had found a way to fight back the illusion. "Please..." he whispered. "It must be somewhere..." He froze when his fingers came in contact with something familiar he hadn't been looking for. Ryou's lips began to quiver as he tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill once more. Slowly, he pulled the large black coat out of the bag. It was all wrinkled from being stuffed carelessly at the bottom of the bag. Ryou hugged it against his chest and closed his eyes. A single tear managed to escape.

"Bakura..."

If the spirit had still had a real heart of his own, he probably would have felt it shatter.

Ryou sobbed.

Bakura knew there wasn't anything he could do to help. Not until Ryou came to his senses and realized Bakura never left him.

"I'm here. I know you don't believe it. But I'm still here."

"N-No..." Ryou slowly shook his head. "Y-You're just something I made u-up... because it's t-too hard to accept the truth."

Sighing, Bakura realized he wouldn't be able to change his former host's point of view. Not tonight at least. Maybe he should leave Ryou in peace until morning. The kid looked like he needed it.

"Go to sleep," he said, the sentence in-between an advice and an order. He hadn't expected Ryou to nod though.

The teen stood, still holding the coat. Bakura watched him return to the bed and slide under the sheets. Ryou buried his face in the soft fabric of the coat.

"Good night, Bakura."

Bakura didn't answer. He knew Ryou wasn't really addressing _him_.


	3. 2 Nostalgia

Title: String of Fate  
Author: MiyAsuka  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Kazuki Takahashi does.  
Pairing: Bakura/Ryou  
Rating: R  
Warning: Yaoi (duh!), probably some sexual references and a lime or two in later chapters.  
Summary: The Ring's gone, and even though Bakura is still there, things can't go back the way they were.  
Notes: I'm sorry it took so long to update. Enjoy this new chapter!

* * *

Chapter 2: Nostalgia

Ryou bit his lip, then sighed. He had to do something. It would be a shame to leave something so precious in that state. Maybe he should take it to the cleaner's, since he wasn't so sure about ironing the expensive coat himself. He didn't want to take the risk of damaging it by accident. Ryou raised a hand and stroked the fabric that felt a bit rough against his fingertips. _Just like him..._ Ryou smiled, feeling his heart tightening in his chest in a way that wasn't totally unpleasant. Yes, he felt sad. He hurt from the loss. But memories still felt sweet.

"I don't regret anything," he murmured.

* * *

"It should be ready in four hours," the girl working at Domino Miracle Cloth Wash Service – Ryou could _almost_ hear Bakura howling with laughter at the somewhat stupid name – said as she gave Ryou a receipt.

"Thank you."

Ryou decided he would spend the day in the city center. It was Saturday, the weather was nice and after spending three days without seeing sunshine, that would do him good.

He didn't know why, but ever since morning, he felt better. Maybe it was because his mind wasn't playing tricks on him anymore. Well, he still _thought_ he heard Bakura a bit, but it was just his imagination, yeah.

"What should I do?" he wondered out loud. It was too early to go to karaoke. He still wasn't feeling hungry and there wasn't any movie he wanted to watch. Maybe he should go shopping. Nodding to his own decision, he walked to the closest store.

"You have such a bad taste in clothes, you know."

Ryou laughed softly. as he took some t-shirts with him to the fitting room. This sure was something Bakura would have said. He was always criticizing Ryou about the way he clothed. The teenager entered the small cabin and pulled the curtain shut.

"Seriously, a pink t-shirt? Can't you get any worse?"

"Well, it's not as if..." Ryou stopped mid-sentence and bit his lip, hard. Why was he answering? Bakura's voice was only in his head. It wasn't real.

Or was it?

Ryou shook his head and removed his shirt, trying to ignore the fact his eyes burned. No, he wasn't going to cry. Let-alone in a public place. What would people think if they saw him red-eyed? Ryou did his best to calm down. He breathed slowly. In. Out. In. There. He felt better. He forced a tiny smile and slipped on the pink t-shirt Bakura would have found so ridiculous.

It had a white rabbit and the words 'happy life' printed on it. It fitted just right. Ryou _thought_ he heard Bakura snort. Well, Ryou shrugged, what Bakura would have thought didn't matter. Now that he was alone, he could dress as he pleased.

Soon, Ryou was out of the shop, carrying a small bag. He wandered around the streets, wondering what he should do next. He didn't notice somebody was following him until his arm was grabbed.

"Hey, you! You're cute! Are you alone? How about we spend some time together, hm?" It was a tall strong-built man who, despite his smile, looked like he wasn't going to let Ryou go.

"No... I..." Ryou stammered while trying to free his arm.

"Come on! Let's have some fun together!"

Ryou heard a growl in the back of his mind. He screwed his eyes shut and, for a few seconds, found himself believing Bakura was still with him and the spirit was surely going to take control of his body and get him away from trouble. And yet, nothing happened.

"Let me go please..." Ryou begged lowly but the other man didn't pay any attention. Ryou winced as his aggressor pulled on his arm.

"Let's go !"

Suddenly, the pulling stopped. Ryou slowly opened his eyes.

"Let him go," a familiar voice said. "He's with me."

The man was about to protest but thought better of it and ran away.

"Are you okay Bakura ?"

Ryou turned his head away and rubbed his slightly bruised wrist. "Yes... Thank you, Honda-kun."

Honda merely shrugged. "It's nothing."

The white-haired teenager bit his lip. He hadn't expected to meet one of the 'others'... He secretly hoped Yuugi wasn't around.

"We went to your place yesterday."

Ryou nodded.

"You were ignoring us." It was a statement, not a question.

"I'm sorry," Ryou began nervously. "I..."

"-think we don't trust you? Because of the spirit of the Ring?" Honda completed. There was a short moment before Ryou nodded. "That's what I told the others."

Ryou began chewing on his lip, still not looking at Honda.

"If you don't want to talk, I won't force you." The tone seemed harsh and Ryou winced at that. Seeing his friend's reaction, Honda's voice softened up. "But if you do want to talk, I'll listen."

The other boy didn't answer at first. His first instinct was to return home and hide there like he always did. But a small part of him wanted to let his feeling out. Bakura's illusionary voice was oddly silent and Ryou felt unnerved by it.

"Bakura?" Honda asked.

"I... I want to talk," Ryou decided. "Just... not to Yuugi-kun..." He hang his head, hoping Honda would not resent him for what he had just said.

"I understand." Ryou blinked. Honda shrugged. "I guess it figures. Well, do you want to talk about it right now?"

"Yes. If you don't mind..."

"Okay. I'll treat you a coffee."

* * *

Ryou and Honda were now sitting in a café. Bakura was watching them, trying to keep his mouth shut. He didn't want Ryou to know he was eavesdropping. Of course, Ryou thought he was just a voice in his head, so it shouldn't be a worry. But if Ryou chose that moment to realize Bakura was real, it would be kind of problematic. It literally took years for Bakura to get Ryou to trust him. And not listening to private conversations had been part of their deal. Did the same rules applied even now, the spirit wondered.

The waitress brought their order. Ryou stared at the table top, silent. Honda took his cup and began sipping on his coffee, wincing. "Too hot..." he muttered. It made Ryou smile a bit.

The white-haired teenager stirred his own coffee with his spoon. Silence lingered a bit more before Ryou finally decided to say something. "Do you think he's really gone?"

Honda seemed to ponder about this for a while. "I think so. Atem probably wouldn't have left if he wasn't."

Ryou winced. "I... see..." He raised his left hand to his chest, where his Ring should have been resting.

Honda saw the movement. "You didn't want to give up the Ring, right?"

"I..." Ryou looked suddenly nervous. "I... It's..."

"I'm not here to judge you," Honda said.

"Sorry... It's just... I know he was your enemy so..."

"But he was acting different with you."

Ryou blinked once more. "How did you...?"

"It's not hard to figure it out." Honda took another sip of his coffee. When he settled his cup back on the table, Ryou was looking at the window.

"I knew him for a very long time... I was seven when I got the Ring from my father." Ryou couldn't tear his eyes off his own reflection in the mirror. "It's like... I grew up with him. He was there when I was left alone." A bittersweet smile found its way on Ryou's lips. "He protected me." Ryou closed his eyes. "I swear I had no idea he hated Yuugi-kun so much... If I had known, I would have found a way of stopping him..."

"But you were there," Honda retorted. Even if he had said he wasn't going to judge Ryou, he just couldn't help it. "When there was this first game where we were turned into cards. You even said you didn't like being controlled all the time!"

"... it was Yuugi-kun's fault..."

"What?"

"It all started when I arrived Domino. When _he_ saw the Puzzle, he began blocking me out for long periods of time.. he refused to tell me what was happening... He was acting so cold..."

Honda's anger vanished in a instant. It was obvious Ryou wasn't lying. The emotion contained in Ryou's voice couldn't be a lie.

"When I saw him attacking you... I felt betrayed. How can he attack my friends, I thought. But after that... I thought I had dreamed it all. I wanted to believe it. But, I knew he did something after that, in Pegasus' castle. I had large spans of memory loss."

"You... I mean _he_ tried to kidnap Mokuba. I stopped him and threw the Ring away," Honda explained.

"You did ?" Ryou looked puzzled. "But when I woke up next to Mokuba I still had it... Oh!" He seemed to realize something.

"What?" Honda asked.

"It came back. The Ring I mean. It seemed to be following me, even when I forgot it at home or when some kids at school had tried to stole it from me." Ryou looked suddenly very nostalgic, he eyes seemed to be looking at something a thousand miles away. "... he always said I was the only one..." The murmur was so low Honda wasn't sure he heard it.

He wondered what kind of relationship Ryou had had with the spirit of the Ring. Probably a very deep one. Honda observed the teen. The white-haired boy usually looked sort of childish and carefree but now, he had this aura of melancholy that made him look very adult. Honda had never noticed it before but Ryou was probably much more mature than the rest of them.

Bakura didn't like the way Honda was looking at Ryou. He didn't want anybody to be looking at Ryou but him. That pissed him off. Especially because he couldn't do anything about it. "You bastard..." he growled. But he focused his attention back on Ryou when the young one resumed talking.

"When I came back home, I found... Pegasus' eye... inside my pocket. I asked _him_ about it. He told me 'don't ask me and I won't have to lie.' I guess I knew what he did but... I just couldn't bear the truth. So I acted like nothing happened..."

Ryou looked so miserable Honda couldn't blame him.

"A few weeks later, he told me he had to go somewhere... I don't know what happened after that..."

Honda seemed surprised. "You don't remember that you went to hospital?"

Ryou shook his head. "I remember... hurting..." Instinctively, he gripped his left arm, were the scar left by the cruel wound was, hidden by the sleeve of his shirt. "It was so dark, I didn't know how I ended up there. I didn't know how I ended up being injured..."

Bakura remembered about this scene all too well. And he really didn't want to hear about it. He didn't want to hear Ryou's accusations which were sure to follow. The spirit left.

He had been stupid to listen to that brat Malik. He had been even more stupid to use Ryou's body, inflecting a physical wound to his host. He had never apologized. He hadn't had to deny his actions because Ryou never asked about them. Yet, there was no way the teen hadn't figured out who had hurt him.

The spirit returned to Ryou's apartment, trying hard not to think about the past actions he regretted he had made.


	4. 3 Feeling

Title: String of Fate  
Author: MiyAsuka  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Kazuki Takahashi does.  
Pairing: Bakura/Ryou  
Rating: R  
Warning: Yaoi (duh!), sexual references and a lime or two in later chapters.  
Summary: The Ring's gone, and even though Bakura is still there, things can't go back the way they were.

* * *

Chapter 3: Feeling

"Thanks for listening to me," Ryou said before taking a spoonful of whipped cream.

"It's nothing," Honda answered. He just regretted he had offered to pay the bill. Ryou had just ordered his second strawberry parfait and Honda wondered how much food his friend was planning to eat. "You know, you should also tell Yuugi."

Ryou kept the spoon in his mouth. His throat hurt when he swallowed the cream. No, he could never... It was too much for him. He didn't want to face Yuugi about Bakura. It would feel way too awkward.

"I can't..."

"It's just going to be worse if you keep silent." Honda rubbed the back of his head. "You know, Yuugi's worried sick about you."

"Just tell him I'm fine," Ryou said dryly.

"Even if he believes you, it would still be a lie. Why don't you tell him everything? It makes you feel miserable keeping silent."

Ryou bit his lips. "I... thought he would have understood..." Those words fell from his mouth like acid. "Bakura was the half of my soul. I thought Yuugi would have understood that better than anyone else." He clenched his fists under the table.

"So you call him 'Bakura'," Honda noticed.

Taken aback, Ryou felt his sudden anger vanish. "Y-yes..."

"You know, I can honestly say Yuugi has no clue he hurt you. After all, he _is_ clueless about a lot of things when games aren't concerned. If you don't tell him, he most likely won't figure it out by himself."

Ryou sighed, almost in defeat. "I'll... think about it..." He wished Bakura was still here to tell him what to do. Ryou always found it difficult to make decisions by himself.

"Okay," Honda said. "I'm not forcing you to either. I just think it would be best for the two of you."

Ryou just nodded in acknowledgment. "You know..." he said after a few seconds. Honda raised an eyebrow. "… I still hear _him_... I know he's not here anymore but... It almost feels like he is. It frightens me..."

Honda didn't answer. He didn't know what to say. Maybe the prospect that the spirit of the Ring was still here scared him.

Ryou finished his parfait in silence. Once he was done, he stood. "I should go, I don't want to disturb you any longer. You probably have things to do." It was Ryou's way of saying he wanted to be alone. Honda understood that.

"Okay. See you on Monday at school."

"… Yeah... at school..." Ryou wasn't really eager to return to school. But he couldn't keep locking himself at home all the time. And going outside seemed to make him feel more... sane? He hadn't been hearing Bakura for quite a while now.

_Bakura..._

Again, that same twinge of sadness. As Ryou stepped outside the café, he suddenly felt colder and wished he had the black coat with him. He put his left hand in his pocket, fingers grasping the receipt from the cleaner's.

_Come back to me._

* * *

Bakura noticed Ryou's footsteps just as the teen stepped out of the elevator, even though the spirit was inside the apartment. He was boiling in anticipation. This time, Ryou wouldn't be able to consider him as a mere figment of his imagination anymore.

It felt like the key of the apartment took forever to unlock the door. Bakura was ready to strike. Ryou finally stepped inside.

"I'm home..." the white-haired boy said, mostly out of habit.

"Welcome back home," Bakura said, loving the way Ryou let his bags fall on the floor. "Had fun outside?"

Ryou's face turned pale. "No... It cannot be..."

"Oh, you father called," Bakura continued, almost matter-of-factly. "He wanted to know if you've gotten your birthday present."

The white-haired teen looked like he was frozen on the spot. Still, his legs moved toward the small table in the living room where the answering machine sat. A hand raised, shaking. Ryou was scared to press on the button. The red blinking light looked almost aggressive. He held his breath.

_"You have one new message."_ **BEEP **_"Ryou, it's me. Happy birthday. I'm sorry I didn't call before, I haven't been able to, forgive me. I mailed you a present, I hope you got it. I'll be staying at the hotel for a few days, you can call me if you want. I hope you're okay." _**BEEP**

Ryou didn't realize he had fallen on his knees. It just couldn't be... And yet, there could be no other explanation. It had to be the truth.

"Believe me now?" Bakura said with satisfaction.

The boy turned to Bakura but he still didn't dare to look. He was afraid. "It's you... It's really you, right?" His voice sounded desperate yet hopeful.

Bakura groaned. "Of course, yes. That's what I've been trying to tell you for fucking days. I'm here!"

Ryou's body began shaking. "B-Bakura...!" He burst into sobs.

* * *

It took a while for Ryou to stop crying. Bakura waited, forcing himself to stay patient. The white-haired teen rubbed his eyes.

"Look at me," Bakura said. Ryou complied. Bakura smiled, with a smug look on his face. "Finally. Was it that hard?"

Ryou shook his head slowly. "But... how?"

"It looks like I got expelled from the Ring," Bakura merely said. Ryou looked at him almost in disbelief.

"That's it? That's all the explanation you have?" Bakura shrugged. "What does this mean?" Ryou continued to question. "What's going to happen now?"

"Nothing."

Ryou blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Aside from the fact I'm not in the Ring anymore, nothing changed." It was a lie. It changed a lot of things. But Bakura couldn't bring himself to say it.

"So... does it mean I can still _feel_ you?" And yet, Ryou was unintentionally forcing him to spit out the truth.

Bakura had tried to touch Ryou to get his attention. It hadn't worked. They couldn't feel each other anymore. With the Ring, he had been able to 'touch' his host, the artifact probably tricking Ryou's nerves in order to make him feel the inexistent touch, making it real. But now...

"… I'm sorry..." Bakura said.

Ryou's eyes widened. "No... Please... Bakura, I need it...!" He raised his hand in order to cup Bakura's cheek. The spirit made to move away but wasn't fast enough. The hand went through Bakura's face. And_ Ryou could feel nothing._ "No..."

"Don't start crying again," Bakura hissed. He didn't want to go back on square one.

"Why, Bakura?" Ryou begged. "_Why?_"

"I'm... more like a ghost now."

"A ghost?" Ryou began shaking. "So... you're _dead_?" Bakura opened his mouth to answer but Ryou didn't let him. "He killed you! Yuugi-kun killed you!"

"No, he didn't."

"But-"

"No buts!" Bakura shouted. Then, more calmly, he explained. "My physical body died thousands years ago, when my soul got sealed up inside the Ring. Nobody killed me."

The white-haired boy looked very confused. "You mean you were once human?"

Bakura nodded. "I'll tell you everything... later..."

Ryou realized he knew almost nothing of Bakura's past. During all the time they had spent together, the spirit never told him anything about it. Somehow, it _hurt_. "You don't trust me?"

"It doesn't have anything to do with you." Bakura sounded irritated. "Stop blaming yourself about everything."

"I'm sorry." Ryou suddenly felt very cold. He shivered. He desperately needed Bakura's warmth. Was it really impossible for them to touch?

The spirit sighed once more. "I'm here so what's with the long face?"

Yes, Bakura was here. Even if he couldn't feel Bakura, he could still see him and hear him. Ryou managed to smile. "I missed you."

Ryou's smile was beautiful. The fact Ryou was smiling to Bakura made it even more dazzling, the spirit realized. He had finally won. Ryou wouldn't ignore him anymore. That made him feel warm. Could he still _feel_ like this?

* * *

"Bakura?" Ryou said.

"Hm?"

The two of them were watching television. Ryou was curled up on the couch and Bakura was hovering next to him.

"If you're a ghost, does it mean everybody can see you?" Ryou would never admit it but he didn't want to share Bakura's presence with anybody.

"No," Bakura groaned. "You're the only one. That's why I was fucking pissed off that you wouldn't listen to me."

"Oh." Inwardly, Ryou was smiling. Bakura was still all his. Good thing. "Sorry about this. I really thought you were gone and I was losing my mind." He turned his head to look at Bakura. "I'm really glad you're still with me." He wanted to move his face closer to Bakura's, but he knew he would just feel emptiness. "Can we still both go inside my soul room?" Ryou asked, though he already knew the answer.

"I can't do that anymore," Bakura said bitterly. Ryou bit his lips.

"Are you sure there is no way for us to...?"

"I don't know. I wasn't exactly given a ghost for dummies book."

"So maybe there's a way!" Ryou exclaimed, his eyes full of hope.

Bakura shrugged. "Maybe." He doubted it but kept his skepticism to himself. Still... it would be nice if there was indeed a way.

"I'll go to the occult shop and make research!"

The spirit rolled his eyes. "Half of the stuff there is pure junk."

Ryou pouted. "Spoilsport..." He yawned. "I'm tired..."

"Go to bed. It's late." Bakura began to smirk. "Unless you plan on staying up to watch a porn movie in the middle of the night." He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Ryou's face instantly turned red. "B-Bakura! You...! That's...! How can you say that? Especially when you... when we... GAH!" The boy turned off the television and bolted to his room.

Bakura couldn't stop laughing. Hell, it had been a while since he had last teased Ryou about _that_ subject. Ryou's reaction was... cute. Bakura's laughter increased.

"That's not funny!" Ryou shouted from his room.

"Oh! Come on! Don't tell me you're not used to it." He floated to Ryou's room. The teen was in bed, hiding under his comforter. "Stop that."

Reluctantly, Ryou poked his head out. He stuck out his tongue. "You're mean."

"You love it."

Ryou couldn't deny it. For that reason and a lot more. He closed his eyes. "Good night, Bakura."

Bakura didn't answer. A few minutes later, a song murmured in a foreign language could be heard. This song had lulled Ryou to sleep countless times. He had never asked about its origin, afraid that Bakura would stop singing it. The lullaby sounded nostalgic and almost too sweet for a person like Bakura. There was really a lot of things he still didn't know about the spirit.

Ryou let sleep overcome him, wishing Bakura would never sing this song to anyone else.


	5. 4 Empty

Title: String of Fate  
Author: MiyAsuka  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Kazuki Takahashi does.  
Pairing: Bakura/Ryou  
Rating: R  
Warning: Yaoi (duh!), sexual references and a lime or two in later chapters.  
Summary: The Ring's gone, and even though Bakura is still there, things can't go back the way they were.  
Notes: Wow, it's been around two months since last update. Sorry for the wait and enjoy that new chapter.

* * *

Chapter 4: Empty

"Okay, forget all the stuff I said about your father being a selfish bastard," Bakura said while looking at the gift Ryou had gotten for his birthday. Even though Bakura came from another age, he had spent enough time with Ryou to know that things like this were worth a little fortune.

His former host looked less thrilled however. All the presents he got didn't change the fact he hadn't seen his father for more than a year. He sighed and took a look at Bakura. The spirit was watching Ryou's brand new laptop with great interest.

It looked as if things were back to normal. The way it used to be before Ryou moved to Domino and met Yuugi and the others. After that, Bakura had been acting odd, hiding things from Ryou. Would he tell him the truth now?

"Bakura?"

The spirit turned his face toward him. Ryou swallowed hard. "What happened?"

"Huh?" Bakura frowned.

"During those last months, what happened?" Ryou asked. "You changed a lot. You did... all those things. I still don't understand."

Bakura sighed. He had expected this. But truth was, he still didn't know how to justify his actions. And he still didn't understand everything himself. "I'll tell you... later."

"You always say that..." Ryou broke eye contact with Bakura. "But in the end, you keep everything to yourself."

"Look, I'm not proud of what I did-"

"Then why did you do it?" Ryou shouted, startling Bakura. "Sorry," the boy sighed. "It's just... It was my body. And you wouldn't talk to me. And then... _he_ did that, twice."

Bakura raised an eyebrow, not getting this last statement.

"It was scary Bakura. It hurt and I didn't know why. It felt so hollow and I didn't even know why." Ryou's voice was shaking. His eyes were starting to glisten with tears about to fall.

"Don't start crying," Bakura hissed.

"I can't help it." Ryou wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "You don't know, Bakura. You can't even guess how it felt."

"I don't even know what you're referring to."

Ryou bit his lips. He couldn't answer. He couldn't say it without shedding more tears.

"You said he did something. Who and what?" Seeing Ryou wasn't replying, Bakura began to feel really annoyed. "Who and what?" he repeated more harshly.

Ryou shook his head and covered his ears with his hands.

Bakura growled. "Ryou!"

"Don't say my name!"

The spirit fell silent. Ryou was desperately trying to calm down.

In fact, it would be foolish to think that everything was back to normal, they both knew it. Bakura had trampled Ryou's trust, though it hadn't been his intention. Now, how many months would it take him to gain it again? Or would it remain out of his reach forever like everything else?

Ryou's long fingers started typing on his laptop keyboard. The spirit tilted his head to read the few characters displayed on the screen.

'_I'm sorry_'

Bakura couldn't refrain a bitter smile. He hugged Ryou. Of course, neither of them could feel anything. But it was comforting enough.

"You still don't want to tell me what this... person did to you?" Bakura asked.

"Just... not yet. There's something I need to do first."

"And what?"

Ryou's lips began trembling. He couldn't answer. Bakura sighed and moved back to look at Ryou's face. The white haired teen had his eyes cast downward.

"Alright..."

Ryou blinked.

"You do what you have to do and then, I'll tell you what you want to know."

The former host raised his eyes. "Really?"

The spirit groaned. "Yeah..." He wasn't really keen on doing that but it was the only way to get Ryou to talk, since Bakura couldn't force any information out of him anymore.

Ryou smiled. "Thank you, Bakura." He stood.

"Where are you going?" Bakura asked, frowning.

"Somewhere," Ryou replied evasively. "Don't follow me."

"Why not?" Ryou's pleading look was enough to make Bakura change his mind. "Alright, but you better make up for it when you're back." He smirked.

The teen looked puzzled. "Make up for it...?" Then it hit him. "Oh! Oh..." He blushed and fidgeted nervously.

"Unless you'd rather do it now?"

"Bakura!" Ryou felt beyond embarrassed now. "Why would you want that anyway? It's not as if _you_ could do anything..."

"Even though I can't touch you, I can still watch you." Bakura licked his lips like a predator about to pounce on his prey. "Besides, it's been a while..."

"True..." Ryou admitted, blushing but looking sad at the same time. It had been months – ever since they came to Domino to be exact – since they both had enjoyed this particular kind of intimacy. It probably had been better that way though, Bakura realized, with him being sort of out of control at that time, who knew what he could have done to Ryou.

"Shouldn't you be going now?" the spirit reminded Ryou. The teen nodded.

"I'm going."

* * *

If Ryou was walking any slower, he would be stopping. He knew he had to do this and yet, he just wanted to turn back and run away. He remembered too well the last time he had took this path. But it had to be done. He needed to know.

He forced himself to hurry his pace. He felt a bit distressed that Bakura wasn't with him but it couldn't be helped. Ryou didn't want him anywhere close to Yuugi. Because Ryou had no clue what Yuugi would do if he learned that the spirit of the Ring was still around.

Ryou couldn't risk that. Not after what had happened last time. He shivered. As he kept walking, his mind strayed back to those events that had hurt so bad.

* * *

"I won again!" Yuugi exclaimed happily as he put down his last card on the pile.

Ryou laughed. "You really have the lady luck on your side. I mean, winning seven times in a row."

Yuugi blushed slightly as he picked up the Uno cards. "Come on, you're embarrassing me." He stood to put them away in his desk drawer. Ryou took this opportunity to look at his surrounding, looking for the place where his Ring could be. "I'm really glad you're here, Bakura-kun." Yuugi sat back in front of Ryou. "We didn't get to talk much outside of school since Duelist Kingdom."

Ryou nodded. He felt a little guilty, tricking Yuugi into thinking this was just a friendly visit while actually his main reason for coming was retrieving his Ring. Unfortunately, he didn't get the chance to look for it yet and he couldn't bring himself to ask Yuugi.

The shorter boy smiled at Ryou. "Do you want to play another game? Oh wait, we just got this new board game, you're gonna love it." Yuugi stood. "I'm gonna get it." He left the room quickly, leaving no time for Ryou to answer.

This was the chance he had been waiting for. Ryou seized it and began searching frantically for his Ring, rummaging through every drawers, every cupboards in sight.

"Bakura... Where are you, Bakura?" he whispered urgently. Maybe the Ring would come to him if Bakura could hear him.

Minutes passed but Ryou still hadn't managed to lay his hands on the Ring. He was shaking with frustration. It _had_ to be there.

Suddenly, he got the feeling he was being watched. He turned around and saw Yuugi standing in the doorway. How long had the other been there, Ryou had no clue. He was about to apologize profusely when he realized it wasn't the same Yuugi. It was the spirit of the Puzzle.

"You were looking for the Ring." It sounded like a question but Ryou knew it wasn't one.

"Yes..." Ryou couldn't give up now. "Yes I was."

The other Yuugi said nothing for a while, observing Ryou. "I was expecting it," he finally admitted.

"I want it back," Ryou spoke harshly. He didn't like the way Yami Yuugi was looking at him. Like he was... judging him or something.. "I-It's mine."

"No, it's not."

Ryou saw red. "How dare you say that? I've had it for years! My father gave it to me! You..." His voice broke. "You have no right to keep it... _He_'s mine..." He was crying now. He felt pitiful. He wasn't strong enough to help it. But he wasn't giving up. He would get his Ring back, by force if necessary.

"I see." Yami Yuugi calmly stepped inside. Ryou watched him. The spirit of the Puzzle picked up a bag in a corner of the room. He put it down on the bed. Ryou felt his hear beating faster with anticipation. Had he won already? Was Yami Yuugi really going to give the Ring back to him? Was Ryou going to be with Bakura again?

He heard the bag's zipper but couldn't see what Yami Yuugi was doing. When the spirit of the Puzzle turned around, it wasn't the Ring he had in his hands. Ryou was certain he had never seen it before. However, he knew it was another Millennium Item. It looked like... some kind of scepter. Yami Yuugi took a step toward him.

Ryou began to feel scared. What was Yami Yuugi planning to do? He looked calm at the moment but who knew what he capable of doing. Ryou remembered too well what had happened in Duelist Kingdom. When Yami Yuugi nearly killed Kaiba.

"G-Give me the Ring back," Ryou attempted one last time.

The other shook his head. "I'm sorry, you give me no other choice."

The Millennium item shone. And something blocked a part of Ryou's mind.

* * *

Ryou hazily walked to his door. He couldn't remember well what happened before that. He had been at Yuugi's, but why? He shrugged. It probably wasn't important. He opened his door and stepped inside. He removed his shoes. "I'm home," he whispered. But why was he saying that? There was no one else home.

He was _alone_.

He stumbled in the middle of the living room. He couldn't see anything, his eyes were blurred with tears. But why was he crying? He had always been alone. Right?

No, something was missing. Something big.

But what?

He felt so... empty. He wanted to scream something – a name maybe – but the very word he wanted to pronounce felt like it had been ripped from his memories.

Ryou was sobbing now. Why? Why was he feeling like this? Why couldn't he understand? The more he tried to remember, the more painful it felt.

And he didn't even know why.

* * *

Ryou shook his head, as if to get rid of those bad memories. Atem had managed to block his memories of Bakura. Of course, at that time, Ryou hadn't been able of knowing and that's why it had felt so painful. His feelings for Bakura ran so deep within his soul that the spirit's absence couldn't just be dismissed. It had been dark, scary... much worse that all the things Ryou had been subjected to during those last months.

He wanted to know if Yuugi knew about this. Ryou had to make sure. Maybe Honda was right, maybe Yuugi really did have no clue about how much Ryou had suffered.

He hoped that was the case. Otherwise, Yuugi would have been really cruel.

_And Ryou would never be able to forgive him._


	6. 5 Disclosure

Title: String of Fate  
Author: MiyAsuka  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Kazuki Takahashi does.  
Pairing: Bakura/Ryou  
Rating: R  
Warning: Yaoi (duh!) and a lime in the next chapter.  
Summary: The Ring's gone, and even though Bakura is still there, things can't go back the way they were.  
Notes: Sorry! I've been so busy I didn't have time to update. But now, I should have more free time.

* * *

Chapter 5 : Disclosure

Ryou stared at the Game Shop entrance. There. Now, he just had to enter and have a talk with Yuugi. Easy. Right?

Then why was he shivering with apprehension? He shook his head. There was nothing to be uneasy about. There was no spirit of the Puzzle anymore. Nothing to fear. His right hand grasped the handle and turned slowly. A tinkle announced his entrance.

"Welcome. Oh, it's you Bakura-kun," Mutou Sugoroku said, smiling.

"Hello," Ryou replied, forcing himself to sound cheerful despite his nervousness.

"You came to buy something?"

"No, in fact, I came to see Yuugi-kun." Ryou's voice was shaking slightly, that wasn't good. "Is he here?"

"Sorry, you're out of luck. His mom just sent him on grocery shopping." The old man scratched his chin. "But that shouldn't take long though. Why don't you wait for him here?"

_Say no, say no, say no._

"Yeah, why not?"

What had gotten into him exactly? Well, he did enjoy chatting with Sugoroku - the old man always had some story to tell. However, he didn't want to get too close to Yuugi's family because he wasn't sure he would be able to stay friends with Yuugi.

"You know what? I was about to close the shop in a few minutes for lunch. I'll do it now and you can have lunch with us as soon as Yuugi comes back, how does that sound?"

Ryou shook his head. "No, I don't want to impose. I'll come back later."

"You're not imposing," Sugoroku assured. "I'm sure Yuugi will be happy to see you. He's worried, you know. He told me you haven't been to school lately."

Ryou lowered his head. He really didn't want to talk about that. Sugoroku noticed this.

"I'm sure you have your reasons. I just don't like to see my grandson troubled, that's all."

"Is he really this worried?" Ryou found it hard to believe.

Sugoroku laughed. "You have no idea. He cares a lot about you. He's probably too shy to tell you, that's all."

Shy? Ryou wondered. What did shyness have to do with that? He thought Yuugi was just apprehensive of him, because of the Ring and Bakura. And Yuugi really didn't look the shy type. He was always bouncing up and down around his friends. But maybe this was somehow due to the Puzzle's influence. Or not.

Ryou wondered if he should have let Bakura come with him after all. It felt a bit odd without the spirit's constant pestering, even though Ryou was ignoring half of it most of the time. But the thought that Bakura was waiting for him at home was comforting, compared to those last weeks filled with incertitude.

* * *

Yuugi sighed. It was weekend and he couldn't even rest. Since he didn't have any card tournament anymore, his mother insisted he helped with the house chores. And so, he had spent the whole morning doing the laundry and now he had to carry heavy grocery bags home. If only his friends had been free today, he could have spent the day having fun. But Jounouchi went to see his sister, Honda had to babysit his nephew and Anzu was working. That left him with no excuse for not helping his mother. It seemed like he ran out of luck for once. Ironic for someone whose alter ego was the king of game.

Finally reaching his place, Yuugi, his hands full, managed to open the door with his elbow.

"I'm home," he called out as he headed toward the kitchen.

"Ah Yuugi," his mother replied. "A friend came over to see you. I thought you would like having him here for lunch."

Ryou was standing next to Yuugi's mother. He waved a bit shyly. "Hi."

Yuugi's eyes instantly lit up. He was so relieved to see Ryou was okay. "Hi Bakura-kun! Are you... feeling better?" Ryou nodded. "Good. We were really worried about you, you know."

"Sorry for making you worry," Ryou replied.

Yuugi's mother, Kokoro, smiled as she listened to their conversation. She really liked this kid, Bakura Ryou. He was calm and polite. Not like some of Yuugi's other friends. Not that she didn't like them. She was just always afraid they might get Yuugi into troubles. And her son had been acting so strangely lately, talking to himself and all. Ryou would be a good influence, surely.

Yuugi sat down at the kitchen table, next to Ryou. Sugoroku was sitting in front of the white-haired teen. The old man smiled to Yuugi. "I was just telling your friend about the latest Monster World expansion we received. You two should try it together."

"You like role-playing games?" Yuugi asked Ryou.

"I love them. I used to play Monster World a lot with..." Ryou stopped mid-sentence, his eyes going glassy for a split second. "With my friends," he ended up saying, smiling a bit painfully though it wasn't easy to notice.

"Yuugi, things aren't all about games you know," Kokoro said. "You should study more. You've got exams soon, right?"

"But mom, it's Sunday! Sundays are for resting."

"He's right, you know," Sugoroku said. "When I was his age..."

Kokoro frowned. "Like you're an example."

Ryou couldn't help smiling. Family life. Something he had been deprived of a long time ago. Of course, he still had his father, but he hadn't actually seen him for a year and half. He felt envious.

Yuugi's mother finally convinced his son to study a bit with Ryou in the afternoon. Ryou didn't mind, since he had missed class last week after all. And that would also be the perfect occasion to confront Yuugi about what had happened last time he came here.

* * *

Ryou and Yuugi sat on the floor, face to face, at the coffee table in the living room. Textbooks were spread in front of them. Yuugi was enjoying himself. Studying with Ryou was fun because it actually felt challenging (it wasn't the case at all when he was with Jounouchi). Ryou, however, was trying hard not to show how nervous he was.

"Bakura-kun, what do you think about this question?" Yuugi asked as he handed Ryou a book.

Ryou bit his lip. "Yuugi-kun," he began, surprisingly keeping his voice steady. "There's something we have to talk about."

Yuugi blinked, confused by Ryou's sudden change of mood. "What is it?"

"It's about..." Ryou bit his lower lip before continuing. "It's about the Ring."

"The... Ring?"

Ryou nodded. "About... the spirit of the Ring in fact."

"Oh..." Yuugi wasn't sure where this was going. He truly hoped the spirit wasn't still here bothering Ryou.

"H-He's not who you think he is. He's..." Ryou was at lost. He knew chances of Yuugi believing him were small. "We were close." He forced himself to use the past tense. "He wasn't like that before, I swear."

"I thought he was hurting you," Yuugi said while Ryou shook his head.

"D-Do you remember the last time I came here?"

It was Yuugi's turn to feel nervous. Yes, he did remember. He also remembered not remembering some parts of that evening. His other self had said he had done things for the best. What had happened exactly?

"The truth is... I had come to... retrieve my Ring..."

Yuugi couldn't help feeling a bit hurt by this admission. "I see."

"But... you, or the spirit of the Puzzle, I'm not sure, came and..." Ryou closed his eyes. He didn't like to rethink about that part. "He did something... with my head. And I wasn't able to remember Bak... the spirit of the Ring. Not at all."

"He... really did that?"

"You didn't know?"

Yuugi shook his head. How could have his other self hidden something like this to him?"

"It hurt, Yuugi-kun. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't find out why I had such a hole... in my heart."

"You and the spirit of the Ring, were you close?" Yuugi asked tentatively.

"Very," Ryou admitted. "I knew him for a long time. I got the Ring when I was seven."

"I didn't know."

"He is... was... the closest friend I had. No." Ryou shook his head. "He was more than that. He was... the half of my soul."

Yuugi knew Ryou wasn't lying. And it made him feel horrible. The images of his duel against the spirit of the Ring in the Memory World kept flashing back in his mind. He remembered hurting him, watching him spit blood. And now, Yuugi realized he had brought pain to the person Ryou just admitted being the closest to. "I-I'm sorry..." Yuugi had sworn to himself he would never hurt his friends. But he did in the end. Even if he hadn't known at that time, he couldn't forgive himself. "I'm so sorry!"

Ryou gasped. He had expected many things, but not that Yuugi would start... crying? "Yuugi-kun..."

"If only I had known. I'm sorry, Bakura-kun. I didn't want to make you suffer." Yuugi swallowed hard. "If I had known... I would have talked to my other self. I swear... Oh, I'm so sorry..."

"I... I believe you, Yuugi-kun. Please, stop crying." That situation felt awkward. Ryou spotted a box of tissues. He grabbed one and gave it to his friend.

"Thank you." Yuugi blew his nose. Ryou waited patiently for him to calm down.

There was a moment of silence, neither of them knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry," Yuugi said once more. "I should have at least guessed."

"Maybe," Ryou replied. "Or maybe I should have told you sooner." He didn't think the spirit of the Puzzle would have cared however.

"What did my other self do to you?"

"He didn't tell you?" Yuugi shook his head. "Well, he used another Millennium Item on me. It sort of blocked me completely from... thinking or remembering about the spirit of the Ring. But... it didn't... erase my... feelings for him..."

"Feelings?" Yuugi repeated. "I... don't really understand."

"As I told you, he is the half of my soul. I was able to know something was missing, but I didn't know what. It was really painful."

"I swear I didn't know my other self did something this... extreme."

"I-I believe you." Deep down, Ryou knew Yuugi wasn't capable of such things. "You know... he actually did that twice."

Yuugi turned pale. "He did?"

"Remember when we took the boat in Egypt? I had recovered from this spell by then. And that night, I went to you, well, the other you, to ask for the Ring again."

"I... see..." Yuugi didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to think his other self could have done such evil things. And yet, there was that time in Duelist Kingdom, with Kaiba standing at the verge of death, a single blow being all it would have taken to end his life. And the spirit of the Puzzle had been about to strike.

Ryou seemed to guess what he was thinking. "They're both capable of the worst... our other selves..."

"Yeah..." Yuugi agreed, though it pained him to do so.

"I notice you're always calling him your 'other self', never by his name. How come?"

"I've always been calling him like this, so it's hard to change. It sounds odd to call him Atem. What about you? How do you call the spirit of the Ring?" Yuugi asked.

Ryou hesitated a bit before replying. "I call him Bakura."

"But, that's _your_ name."

Ryou laughed a bit. "I know. I just... gave it to him. Or rather, he took it."

"Took it?"

"Yeah. Like when you're stealing something. Except it was my name."

"That's odd."

"He is."

Yuugi tilted his head to the side. "Is he... still here?"

Ryou wasn't sure whether to tell the truth or lie. He chose to do a bit of both. "Maybe. I guess you can't get rid of spirits that easily."

"I see." Yuugi wasn't sure how to feel about that. "How was he... when he was with you?"

Ryou blushed immediately and hoped Yuugi wouldn't notice. "Very different. In fact, he started acted weird just when he came here in Domino."

"But, he didn't hurt you or anything?" Ryou shook his head, which made Yuugi feel a bit relieved.

"Years made we became very close."

"Like... brothers?"

"N-Not really. Not at all like that, in fact." Ryou blushed harder.

"O-Oh!" Yuugi finally understood. "I-I see..."

Ryou lowered his head, embarrassed. Now, that wasn't something he had planned on letting slip. However, more than looking shocked, Yuugi seemed a bit upset.

"I'm sorry. If I had known... I truly hope you can see him again."

"Thank you." Ryou really felt touched by Yuugi's kindness. He hadn't expected something like this from the young duelist. "I'm sure he'll find me again. He always does." _He already did._

Maybe one day, Ryou would tell Yuugi that Bakura never really left. But for now, things were just good the way they were.


	7. 6 Insufficient

Title: String of Fate  
Author: MiyAsuka  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Kazuki Takahashi does.  
Pairing: Bakura/Ryou  
Rating: R  
Warning: Yaoi (duh!) and a lime in this chapter.  
Summary: The Ring's gone, and even though Bakura is still there, things can't go back the way they were.  
Notes: I hope this chapter will make up for the lack of Bakura in the previous chapter. Enjoy~

* * *

Chapter 6: Insufficient

"You're leaving already?" Kokoro asked when she saw Ryou walking down the stairs.

"Yes," Ryou replied.

Yuugi's mother looked a bit disappointed. "Are you sure you don't want to stay a bit longer?"

Ryou shook his head. "I already made plans with someone who could get really impatient."

"I see," Kokoro said, a knowing smile on her lips. "A girlfriend perhaps?" Ryou's face immediately turned several shades of red. He lowered his head, unable to come up with an intelligible reply.

"I-I'll be going now," he blurted out as he made straight for the door. Kokoro waved as she watched him go.

"Feel free to come back anytime."

And Ryou was out.

It felt a bit chilly outside, at least the wind felt like it on Ryou's hot cheeks. In a way, Yuugi's mother had seen right through him (since she couldn't possibly guess that Ryou's 'girlfriend' was a ghost/spirit). Ryou shook his head and laughed a bit nervously. He was relieved that Bakura couldn't know what was in his head anymore. He would never hear the end of it. Teasing Ryou was one of Bakura's favorite pastimes, unfortunately.

Ryou walked fast, knowing that Bakura was waiting for him at home. Of course, things were going to be kind of awkward at first. Ryou would have to tell him about the messing up that the spirit of the Puzzle had done with his head. Bakura was bound to get angry. But then, Bakura had promised he would explain the event that happened during those dark previous months. Ryou had the feeling that whatever it was, he would forgive Bakura in a heartbeat.

I_'m the silly girlfriend_, Ryou mused, his face turning pink again.

Ryou wondered if he should tell Bakura about his visit at Yuugi's. He hadn't exactly planned on letting Yuugi know about how close he was to Bakura. And he still wasn't sure he could totally forgive Yuugi. Because, even if Yuugi had been obvious to his other self's dealings and to Ryou's feelings regarding his own spirit, he still had never asked. But Ryou hadn't said anything either. He didn't trust Yuugi at that time. He didn't trust any of Yuugi's friends either.

Since he had Bakura, he isolated himself from others. Not a good thing, he knew. 'You should make some friends,' his father told him all the time when they talked on the phone. Making friends wasn't really the issue. Staying in contact with people, now that was something he always failed to do at some point. People drifted away and Ryou didn't mind, as long as he still had Bakura.

_To me, it's more than enough._

* * *

Bakura groaned. Ryou still wasn't home and the spirit was gradually growing more and more bored to the point he'd consider going off to look for him, even if he didn't have any clue where his former host went to. Letting Ryou venture unsupervised was a bad idea. With his luck and legendary clumsiness, who knew what trouble the teen could have gotten himself into?

In an attempt to calm himself, Bakura switched his attention back to the TV set, before he was reminded it was what had been annoying him in the first place. Ryou had left it on to entertain Bakura a bit. It worked for a while; stupid Japanese people taking part in TV show games where losers were covered in mud never failed to make the spirit point and laugh. The soap drama that was currently airing, however, was different story. How could people enjoy this kind of stuff? It was plainly boring and aggravating.

"He better get home now," Bakura growled to himself. "Or else…"

As on cue, the spirit heard the door open. He was in the entrance in an instant.

"What took you so long?" he asked, scowling.

"You're in a pissy mood," Ryou said matter-of-factly as he removed his shoes. "What happened? Did your favorite show got canceled or something?"

"No. You've been outside all day while I'm stuck there, forced to watch stupid dramas."

"I haven't been outside all day. Just two hours at most. And if you don't like dramas, you could always change the channel."

"I can't…"

"Oh…" Ryou remembered that fact. "True."

Bakura frowned. "That's all you've got to say?"

Ryou just smiled and shrugged. "I'm here now." He walked to the living room and turned off the TV.

"True. And you said you'd make up for leaving so long."

"Really?" Ryou asked innocently, his brown eyes blinked in fake confusion. His cheeks, however, were slightly flushed. Of course, he remembered about that. The very embarrassing thing Bakura wanted him to do. Alone. "I don't know what you're referring to."

"You know it very well," Bakura whispered close to Ryou's ear, making the teen shiver. "I hope you're not trying to chicken your way out of this, hm?"

"No, of course not," Ryou replied, shaking his head and blushing a bit more. "It's just… I don't understand why you'd want to do this."

"I told you. Even though I can't touch you, I can still watch you." And Bakura really wanted to watch Ryou. Because to him, there was nothing more beautiful, more mesmerizing than his former host. All his expressions were a masterpiece no artist could ever reproduce. Bakura loved to provoke them all. Sadness, anger, joy… all of them were gorgeous in their own way. And Ryou's face caught up in rapture was probably the loveliest of them.

The white haired teen lowered his head. "It's very embarrassing…"

"Nothing I haven't seen before."

"But you never made me do it…"

Bakura smirked. "You won't make me believe you never ever masturbated."

"You don't have to said that word," Ryou whimpered, hiding his hot checks with his hands. "And I've never done it in front of you."

"You don't want to?" Bakura asked, doing his best to sound very disappointed and upset by this prospect. Hopefully, that would be enough to coax Ryou's selfless side. His former host didn't speak for a while, pondering the idea. In the end, he nodded slowly, without daring to look at Bakura. The spirit felt satisfied. So much he didn't notice the sudden blank look in Ryou's eyes.

* * *

Ryou lay on the bed, his body tense. Slowly, closing his eyes, he began unbuttoning his shirt. So far, it wasn't that embarrassing. It wasn't the first time he undressed in front of Bakura, both in this kind of situation or simply to get changed.

"You're beautiful," Bakura whispered. Ryou blushed at the compliment. He left his shirt open, not trying to remove it. What Bakura was asking out of him was so embarrassing he'd rather not do it completely naked.

Ryou tentatively caressed his chest, hissing slightly when his fingers brushed against already hard nipples. His eyelids opened slightly to take a look at Bakura. The way the spirit was gazing at him was so intense Ryou had to look away. "It's embarrassing…"

"Keep going. You're doing pretty well." Bakura's eyes were following Ryou's every movements. The teen's hands ventured lower and the sound of a zipper could be heard.

"Don't stop talking," Ryou begged. Since he was too embarrassed to look at Bakura, the spirit's voice was the only contact he had with him. "Please…"

Bakura complied, whispering gentle words of encouragement. Ryou bit his lip to stifle a moan as his head rolled back into his pillows. He concentrated on Bakura's voice. The way the spirit spoke to him gradually changed, filthy things Bakura knew turned Ryou on. Sweat was gathering on Ryou's temples. Cute mewls of pleasure escaped the teen's throat. Bakura smirked. "So naughty…"

"Bakura…" Ryou moaned. He opened his eyes, looking straight as Bakura, his gaze pleading. Then, it hit the spirit.

Ryou was suffering.

"I want you to touch me…" A beg. A voice that sounded like its owner's heart had just broken. Pain and pleasure were plain to see on Ryou's face. And yet…

"So insanely beautiful…" Bakura murmured, like hypnotized by the sight of his former host's despair.

"Touch me… Touch me, Bakura!" Tears fell from Ryou's cheeks. Bakura wished he could comply. He looked away, unable to watch more. He almost wanted to tell Ryou to stop, but it would be futile. The teen was too far gone.

Suddenly, Ryou let out a scream. His back arched from the bed. The pale body stayed in that position for a short moment before crashing back on the bed, shaken by sobs. "Bakura… Bakura…"

"I'm here," the spirit said, though he doubted Ryou was listening. There was nothing he could do. He had to wait for Ryou to calm down, which could take some time. His former host was an emotional mess that even Bakura, a master at parasiting minds, had had a hard time keeping together. Maybe he shouldn't have asked Ryou to do this. Was it worth it? Bakura wasn't sure.

* * *

Ryou stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped up in a fluffy bathrobe.

"Feeling better?" Bakura asked. He hadn't spoken to Ryou in the last hour, giving the teen some time to pull himself back together. The spirit had been around him the whole time, probably without Ryou noticing.

"Much better," Ryou replied with a smile sincere enough for Bakura not to doubt it. "Sorry about earlier…"

The spirit shook his head. "Let's not talk about it anymore."

"Okay." That seemed to relieve Ryou. The teen sat down comfortably on the couch. "By the way… I think we have some talking to go."

"True," Bakura said. "I want to know all the things that happened when I wasn't around."

"And after, will you tell me about what happened to you?" Ryou asked, hopeful.

"I said I would." And Ryou deserved some explanation. After all, it was his body Bakura had been using (and abusing to a certain extent).

The white haired nodded. "Deal." He then began telling Bakura about the time he had been at Yuugi's, a month or so ago. How he had faced the other Yuugi and how the spirit of Puzzle had tricked his mind into forgetting all about Bakura. How cold, foreign and painful it had felt. How Ryou couldn't remember what was missing in his life. The massive hole in his chest.

As Ryou had expected, Bakura was angry. "That fucking Pharaoh…" But the spirit's face suddenly softened. "I'm proud of you, you know."

Ryou blinked, truly surprised by Bakura's mood change. "Why?"

"You went to the midget's place and demanded the Ring back. I have to admit it's not something I would have expected you to do."

"I need you more than anything in my life," Ryou said, blushing and lowering in head in embarrassment right after this little admission.

Bakura smirked. "My devoted little host…"

"You haven't been calling me your host ever since…"

"I got expelled from the Ring? That's because I'm not using your body anymore."

"Still…" Ryou looked at Bakura. "I like it when you call me that."

Bakura raised an eyebrow. "More than being called by your first name?" Ryou nodded. "Then, I'll keep calling you that, _Yadonushi_."

And Ryou smiled, truly happy.


	8. 7 Past

Title: String of Fate  
Author: MiyAsuka  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Kazuki Takahashi does.  
Pairing: Bakura/Ryou  
Rating: R  
Warning: Yaoi (duh!).  
Summary: The Ring's gone, and even though Bakura is still there, things can't go back the way they were.  
Notes: Oh my! An update! I'm just as surprised as you are, really. This chapter is a bit short but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.

* * *

Chapter 7: Past

Where to start? Logic would say the beginning, but did Ryou need to know everything? There were things Bakura didn't want to talk about. Weaknesses he didn't want to reveal. Sins he weren't proud of.

Ryou was looking attentively at Bakura, waiting for the spirit to start explaining. The teen's large brown eyes had a gleam of excitement; it was the first time Bakura would be revealing things about his past. It didn't help the spirit much. He felt like a parent about to tell his children that Santa Claus or the tooth fairy – _stupid modern beliefs_ – didn't exist.

Bakura's past was obscure, tainted by blood, probably too much for Ryou to handle. It wasn't just the part when he had still been human. Over three thousands of years, he had been responsible of too many deaths to count. And Ryou knew _nothing_ of it.

"I…"

It was rare for Bakura to look this hesitant. Ryou gave him what he thought was an encouraging smile. The spirit bit his lip.

"I'm sorry."

"Eh?"

"I can't."

The teen frowned. "But you promised."

"I know. But…" His past was ugly. The fact he had been hiding it from Ryou all this time made it all the more revolting.

"Whatever it is, I can handle it." Ryou's eyes strayed on the side for a few seconds before reverting back on Bakura. "My feelings for you won't change." _I will always…_

The spirit sighed. There was no escaping this.

"Alright. I'll tell you."

* * *

The thief moved his head slightly on the right, easily dodging a dart. He couldn't believe this place was the former Pharaoh's tomb. All these traps supposed to dissuade tomb robbers like him were lame. The place wasn't heavily guarded either. Bakura had been able to sneak in without much trouble. Leaving probably wouldn't be that simple though; given the fact he would be quite… loaded.

It was actually the first time the thief robbed a tomb. Furthermore, a royal tomb. Quite a start. If he made it out alive – which he didn't doubt – he would become a legend among his peers. The Thief King. The term brought a smile of pride to the man's lips. All his life, he had mostly been stealing on the markets, never getting caught a single time. Only recently had he started robbing houses, a more delicate operation that could turn bad. The scar on the right side of his face proved it. It had been his only mistake so far.

The thief pushed a rock out of his way. He had to close his eyes at first as his oil lamp illuminated more gold that the thief had ever seen gathered in a single place. Trinkets of great value that were supposed to rest in the Pharaoh's tomb for all eternity. What a loss. There would eventually come a time when everyone would forget about the old kings and retrieve all the gold from the depths of the earth. The thief was just helping himself some early.

The young man unfolded the long linen cloth he had been carrying on the floor. It was large, enough for Bakura to bring back quite a lot of souvenirs from his illegal trip. The thief grabbed everything he could; there was no need to be picky. He wasn't planning on trading any of the treasures he would bring back. Shock was his main goal. Showing the current monarch that his kind wasn't untouchable.

A flash of red caught the thief's eye. Some kind of fabric was hanging from the wall. After further inspection, it ended up being a large coat. The thief was surprised. Red clothes were highly unusual in Egypt. So rare the thief was almost positive he had never seen such crimson fabric before. He set his oil lamp aside and, with a swift movement, slipped on the coat. The fabric felt incredibly soft to the touch. Much more than linen fabric he was used to.

The thief resumed his quest for precious items, his new possession billowing around him as he moved, a heap of gold piling up in the center of the room. Once he was satisfied with his haul, he headed toward the burial chamber.

There it was. The sarcophagus containing the remains of the former king. The thief slowly approached it. "We finally meet," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. The smug smile on his lips gave way to a pained expression. It didn't linger more than a few seconds though. Without care, the thief sat on the depiction of the Pharaoh. This wasn't enough to fulfill his need for vengeance. The king was dead, but he hadn't paid for what he had done.

The current Pharaoh would have to. He would pay for his father's crimes.

The thief uncoiled the rope he had wrapped around his thigh. He would humiliate the father in front of the son. Dishonor was nothing compared to what he had been confronted to, but it would be entertaining enough.

Yes, his vengeance would be slow and sweet, he thought as he tied the rope securely around the royal coffin.

"I can't wait to see the look on your son's face when I bring you to him."

Pulling on the rope, the thief dragged the sarcophagus behind him. A metallic sound made him stop. He instantly knew what the item was when he saw it. A plate of gold joined to a large bracelet made from the same metal. The thief had seen that priest use it a few months ago. This thing was called a DiaDhank and could summon powerful creatures.

"Such a powerful item left for anyone to grab," the thief whispered with an ironic smile. The bracelet fit his arm perfectly. He could feel the power emanating from it.

The men guarding the tomb barely got time to realize what was coming to them. As he walked out, the thief raised his arm. A large being the color of silver materialized behind him. A snake's head pounced and easily sliced the first guard in two. The thief watched, unable to hold his mad laughter. He felt powerful, invincible, ready to fulfill his revenge.

* * *

Ryou was silent for while, taking in the things Bakura had just said. It was the first time he heard about a human Bakura. Ryou closed his eyes as he tried to picture the spirit as an Egyptian thief. Tall, strong, smelling of sand… The teen could feel a blush rising to his cheeks. He opened his eyes to find Bakura scowling at him.

"Just what is going on in your head? I just told you I killed men. You're supposed to look horrified, not flustered."

Ryou shook his head slightly with a nervous laugh. He didn't think Bakura was lying but it was still kind of hard to believe that all this was true. Though it wasn't more difficult to accept than the fact he was talking to spirit – or should he say a ghost?

"You said something about revenge. Did the Pharaoh do something to you?"

"That's not important." The spirit answered too quickly, giving his former host a small start.

"Not… important? But Bakura, you said you would tell me everything."

However, no amount of pouting would change Bakura's mind. He didn't want Ryou to know about that part of his past. The spirit didn't want to vindicate his actions. The last thing he needed was to have Ryou thinking all this had been justified, because Bakura had used his host as a tool for this vengeance.

_And nothing justified what he had subjected Ryou to._

Bakura wasn't usually kind toward people. To put it bluntly, he thought most human beings were rotten and didn't deserve any form of compassion – including the one he used to be. What made his former host any different?

He had known Ryou since the white haired teen had been a child. He had followed the evolution and the growth of this young, frail soul. Like an apprentice potter, he had shaped the soul so it could become beautiful, despite all the blows it had to constantly endure.

_Why?_

Because he didn't want Ryou to become like himself.

"Bakura?" The soft voice of his former host caught the spirit's attention again. His light brown eyes shone in incomprehension. And pale hand reached toward Bakura who took it. Despite the lack of feel for both parts, it still brought a smile on their lips. "You don't have to tell me. Of course, I'd like to know but… if you don't want to talk about it, I understand."

Ryou let his hand fall. The spirit wanted to hold it back but was unable to.

Silence lingered between them. Ryou shifted nervously, the collar of his bathrobe opening up slightly, revealing skin so pale bluish veins were clearly visible. The collar-bone was a bit too prominent.

"You haven't been eating properly."

"Whose fault is that?"

Yet more damages Bakura had done to his host. He had been so focused on his revenge he had forgotten all about Ryou's well-being. "I'm sorry…" A word that rarely fell from his mouth and that, when said to Ryou, always meant a lot.

The white haired teen closed his eyes for a brief second. When his eyelids fluttered open, there was something in those eyes the spirit couldn't understand. Or maybe he just didn't want to.

"Yadonushi…"

"Come here."

Ryou could feel nothing but air on his lips, yet, his body responses were more intense than if he had felt any kind of warmth. Tears fell from eyes and his toes curled while his fingers trembled. A faint whimper of distress managed to escape.

"Don't cry."

Ryou nodded as he wiped his cheeks. "…couldn't help it."

"I know."

Ryou raised his head for another kiss. Bakura complied.


	9. 8 Betrayal

Title: String of Fate  
Author: MiyAsuka  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Kazuki Takahashi does.  
Pairing: Bakura/Ryou  
Rating: R  
Warning: Yaoi (duh!).  
Summary: The Ring's gone, and even though Bakura is still there, things can't go back the way they were.  
Notes: Sorry about the wait. I've been kinda busy lately (and I started doing cross-stitching) but here it goes: new chapter. There's a lot of flashbacks in this one. Actually, this fic will probably have a lot of flashbacks. As usual, I hope you enjoy. And please, please, try to leave a review?

* * *

Chapter 7: Betrayal

"Tell me more about your past self."

"No."

Ryou frowned, displeased by the spirit's straight answer. "But you promised me you would."

"I only said I would tell you about the last few months."

The teen sighed, but he knew better than to press Bakura further. It would only result in the spirit not telling him anything at all and Ryou really needed to know what happened. He needed to fill the blanks.

"Okay." Ryou's voice was shaking slightly, Bakura noticed. He was scared, obviously. Ever since they came to Domino, Ryou had been mostly left in the dark concerning Bakura's actions. And truth to be told, there were parts Bakura didn't remember too well either, like he hadn't been in control all the time.

* * *

It was Ryou's first day at the Domino public high school. The white-haired teen surprisingly wasn't as nervous as Bakura thought he would be. The lack of sleep the previous night obviously made his host's mind drowsy, which had been the whole point. This way, the spirit wouldn't have to talk to Ryou too much to appease him. Ryou tended to talk to Bakura aloud and thus was often labeled as strange. And having people from his new school thinking he was a weirdo would only make Ryou uncomfortable, which Bakura didn't want.

Of course, it would have been easier for Bakura to simply take control. Ryou had asked him to, but the spirit hadn't complied, arguing that Ryou shouldn't be relying on him all the time. Besides, Bakura liked watching better than acting. It was much better to watch his host than having him cowering in a corner of their soul room.

Ryou opened the door of the classroom when the teacher called his name. He stepped inside and faced the students. Some girls immediately started giggling and whispering among themselves, which made Bakura chuckle. "Someone's already getting popular," he whispered in Ryou's mind. His host frowned slightly in annoyance which furthered the spirit's amusement.

"Does anyone have questions for our new student?" the teacher asked. Several hands raised in the air, mostly girls'. "Yes Takane-kun?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?" A girl sitting in the front row asked. Ryou instantly blushed.

"No, but he has me," Bakura's voice chuckled again in Ryou's mind. _Idiot_, Ryou thought, exasperated.

"No, I don't…" The white haired teen replied quietly. A few girls gasped.

"You're getting their hopes up," Bakura warned, but he was mostly amused. He knew Ryou had no interest in girls, but it was still fun to watch him struggle in embarrassment.

"Somehow, I knew this question would be coming." The teacher sighed and muttered: "Kids these days… Okay, another question? Hm, yes, Mutou-kun?"

"Do you like games?"

Bakura nearly took over Ryou at that very moment. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He didn't even hear his host answer.

There it was. The thing he had been looking for during thousands of years.

_The Millennium Puzzle._

He wanted to walk to the boy and just grab it. But _he_ knew better than to act on impulse.

As Ryou moved to sit, the spirit couldn't look away from the item. The Ring's pendants moved against the teen's skin, attracted. Ryou shivered. _Bakura_, the teen called inwardly. The spirit never answered.

* * *

"So it's really because of Yuugi's Puzzle that you changed so much," Ryou said.

Bakura nodded without looking at his former host.

"I see." Somehow, Ryou felt relieved. He hadn't been responsible of Bakura's changes. "Why were you so very interested in it?"

Why indeed? To open the door of darkness and release the darkness confined beyond? Had it really been his goal from day one?

_No._

But revealing the truth was out of question, at least for now.

"The Millennium Items were made… in the village where I was born." Close enough to the whole truth.

"So they were stolen?" Ryou asked.

"I guess you could say that…" The spirit replied quietly. Ryou noticed he sounded sad but didn't press further. Knowing Bakura had a genuine reason for wanting the Puzzle was enough for the moment.

"So, this is why you wanted to retrieve all of them… Why didn't you tell me?"

For days, Bakura had been silent, barely if ever talking to Ryou. "I was… thinking, planning, trying to figure out how much Yuugi could do with the Puzzle…" It had turned into an obsession from the start. If revenge was a dish best served cold, then the one the spirit had been planning was dark and rotten by the centuries.

Something ugly he couldn't possibly have told his host about.

Had Bakura been sheltering Ryou the whole time? Or had he simply stopped caring, too busy focusing on the Millennium Items?

* * *

"_Yadonush_i. Pack your things, we're going on a trip."

Ryou raised his eyes from his homework. He was feeling both relieved by the fact Bakura was paying attention to him again and puzzled by the spirit's unexpected request. "What's up with you so suddenly? A trip to where?"

"Didn't you hear this short classmate of yours? He's leaving tonight."

"Yuugi-kun?" Ryou blinked. "Well, I did hear him talking about a Duel Monsters tournament. But what does this have to do with us?"

"I don't have to tell you," the spirit replied coldly. Ryou cringed.

"Bakura…?"

"We're just going. Stop asking questions."

Ryou bit his lips. He didn't understand Bakura's behavior at all. But if this was what the spirit wanted… The teen stood and opened his closet. Whatever were Bakura's plans, the spirit most likely had a good reason, right?

"Will you eventually tell me what this is all about?" Bakura didn't bother to reply. The teen bit the inside of his cheek. "Why are you interested in Yuugi-kun suddenly?" Ryou asked, half-expecting the spirit to tease him about being jealous.

"Take your cards with you," Bakura said, ignoring both questions. "And hurry up. The sooner we get there, the better."

"Get where?"

"The port."

* * *

Ryou stayed awfully silent as he was eating dinner. Obviously, he was taking things harder than it had first seemed. Despite not being in his head anymore, Bakura knew what his former host was thinking. _Why didn't you tell me then?_

The spirit sighed. "I needed you to go along with my plan. You wouldn't have agreed if I had told you the truth."

"Did you, really? You certainly had no trouble controlling my body and leaving me out afterward."

Ah, a clear reproach. Bakura smiled bitterly. Sure, it would have been easy to simply take possession of his host but for some reason, the spirit had needed Ryou to cooperate. The need for vengeance hadn't been strong enough to make him stop caring completely. But that pathetic explanation most likely wouldn't satisfy his host.

"And that game you played, what was it supposed to mean? What were you planning to do?"

* * *

"Bakura! Look."

The spirit moved closer and took a look at the card in Ryou's hand. "Change of Heart?"

"Doesn't it remind you of someone? Or rather, some-two?"

Bakura glanced back from the card to Ryou's face, then back to the card. A demon with an angel wing? Or an angel with a demon wing? Anyway, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure who his host was referring to. But the spirit decided to play dumb. "Not at all."

"Us, silly," Ryou said, pouting cutely. "We're one but are different. We complete each other." The boy gently ran his finger over the dark part of the card. "Don't you think this card is a lot like us?"

Bakura read the card description. Indeed, he was often taking control of his host. "But you're prettier than the card."

Ryou raised his eyes to look at Bakura's half-transparent face. His cheek turned a pale pink and the spirit could feel his host's heart beating faster. "Bakura…" The boy shook his head slowly and lowered his gaze. "You're embarrassing me again."

Bakura chuckled as Ryou carefully placed the card on top of his deck. He wasn't done just yet. "I'm serious though. Do you think I would have chosen an ugly host? Nope, I chose the most beautiful of human beings."

Ryou blushed harder. "Stop that…" He whimpered, hiding his flushed cheeks in his hands. The spirit gently took control of his host's arms and forced him to drop them. He then moved his immaterial face close, kissing Ryou.

"Don't be bashful. You're as beautiful as an angel."

* * *

_And he is_, Bakura thought as he saw the silhouette of the Change of Heart appears before him. When Bakura had turned all the Pharaoh's friends into cards, he had heisted before finally including his host in their little game. Only out of a selfish need of seeing his host as a heavenly being. _Beautiful._ And his.

Ryou opened his eyes. He felt sad. He wanted to cry. He had seen everything. The whole game. His other half's betrayal. There was only one thing he could do.

The Change of Heart spread his wings. The spirit of Ring watched, fascinated. Ryou's robe moved within his flight, revealing long pale legs. _Fly and win this fight for me._

But Ryou had no intention of following the rules of the game. He would cheat, even if it meant betraying Bakura. _But it doesn't matter. He already betrayed me._ He flew to the Lady of Faith, the only monster on their side of the field. Being a magic card, he only had one chance at this.

"Yuugi-kun, attack me please."

The spirit's eyes widened. What was his host doing?

"I don't care if I'm destroyed. I don't want to be controlled anymore. So attack me!"

Bakura didn't get to react. Just as he was about to try and reason Ryou, a mystic light shone and forced him out of his host's body.

When Ryou opened his eyes, he was surprised to be back in control. He blinked a few times and stared at the game mat. If he was back, it meant Bakura… His pupils dilated in horror. _No!_ With the other player convinced that the spirit was the enemy, Ryou didn't have a chance to stop this.

_Bakura!_

_

* * *

_

The spirit scowled. "You betrayed me."

"It wasn't supposed to go like that!" Ryou bit his lower lip. "You weren't supposed to receive the attack. I was. I was only trying to protect my… friends…"

Bakura sighed. He understood Ryou's intentions, of course. But never would he have thought his angel could turn against him. A Change of Heart, _indeed_.

"It wasn't the only reason…" The spirit raised an eyebrow. His former host's were filled with tears. "You betrayed me first. You lied to me and expected me to…" The boy shuddered. "I thought… I didn't want things to be like this… I didn't want all my life to be nothing but a lie… I'd rather die…"

The depth of the feelings Ryou bore for his other half. How fragile it made him.

"Yadonushi…" the spirit whispered. "Look at me." Ryou raised his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm crying again."

"Nothing would have happened to your friends." A lie. The game had been rigged so Bakura's side was safe. Ryou being in his deck, it had been out of question to put him at risk from the very start. Concerning the Pharaoh's side, however… Bakura had lost, though, so no one would ever learn about the truth. He'd rather lie to his former host than having him getting suicidal.

"Really? So… this was only a set up?" When the spirit nodded, Ryou sighed in relief. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have doubted you."

Bakura looked away.

After this event, he had decided to stop involving Ryou directly into his plan.

Had it really been in order to protect him?

Or because he couldn't have allowed any interference?


End file.
